For state Rep. Donavan McKinney, going to high school was a challenge.
It wasn’t the subject matter, it was the trip to and from school.
McKinney, a Democrat who now represents parts of Detroit and Macomb County in the Michigan Legislature, recounted the regular trip from his home near Seven Mile Road and Van Dyke Avenue in northeast Detroit to Renaissance High School in northwest Detroit. Like plenty of other kids, he didn’t attend his neighborhood high school so he had to travel, but transit limitations meant a long journey of riding the bus and walking for considerable time each way.
“Most of that time spent was just waiting,” he said Tuesday night. “We need to do better.”
McKinney, who noted that he loved the bus growing up, was speaking to a crowd at the Wayne State University Industry Innovation Center in Detroit that appreciates what he went through but also has hopes that the region is moving toward something better. It was part of the State of Transit 2024, an annual event hosted by the advocacy group Transportation Riders United.
This year in addition to discussions with leaders from metro Detroit’s main transit agencies, the event included a state policymaker panel with state Sens. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, and Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor; and state Reps. McKinney and Jason Morgan, D-Ann Arbor, along with state Chief Infrastructure Officer Zach Kolodin.
All spoke of their desire to improve transit.
Irwin described transit as one of the “big gaping holes” in the region, noting that “when you connect people good things happen.” He said he’s working on efforts to fix Regional Transit Authority legislation, which he said basically takes rail projects off the table. He implored the audience to keep asking officials about transit.
McMorrow spoke of transit as economic development, pointing to the region’s failed bid to attract Amazon’s second headquarters in 2018 or even be considered as a finalist because of a lack of education and transit investments, despite offering $4 billion in incentives.
Local community leaders, she noted, often describe transit needs but fail to seek funding for it.
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McMorrow and Irwin implored the audience, estimated at more than 75 people, mostly transit supporters and those affiliated with transit agencies, to spread the word to elected officials about how important they view transit as an issue. McMorrow said it needs to be made clear that elected officials will get voted out of office if they don’t act on it.
Morgan identified the recently formed transit caucus, which now has 36 members, including one Republican, as a key effort in the Legislature. He said he’s looking toward legislation that would significantly boost local bus operating funds.
Megan Owens, executive director of Transportation Riders United, described reliability as the biggest struggle locally and nationally. But some changes could help on that front.
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Those include a $3-an-hour wage increase for Detroit Department of Transportation drivers and what was described as a potentially historic increase expected for drivers at the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation, or SMART, as contract negotiations move forward there. Higher bus driver salaries, it’s hoped, will help alleviate what’s become a chronic driver shortage. That situation isn’t unique to metro Detroit, but this region is notable for its lower rates of driver pay.
Talk of the pay increases garnered significant applause from the audience, which also clapped when talk turned to progress so far on making transit available, specifically SMART expansion into Novi and Wixom with Rochester and Waterford listed as being up next.
Highlighting an area of potential opportunity, Owens referenced filling in the gaps in Wayne County, which has numerous communities that opt-out of SMART.
Despite the areas of progress, transit in Michigan has been hampered by chronic underinvestment for many years, according to advocates, who point to that as a key reason young people choose to leave the state.
Owens used a chart to show how state funding for transit has been largely flat for more than 20 years while funding for roads, which already outpaced transit substantially, has continued to climb.
Another chart, showing 2016 per capita transit funding, showed dozens of cities, with Detroit near the bottom, just behind Virginia Beach, Virginia, and just in front of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.
Detroit’s dining scene just got even more flavorful with the opening of Sunda New Asian, bringing modern Southeast Asian cuisine to the city.
Restaurant owner Billy Dec joins the show to share what guests can expect from the new hotspot, from bold dishes and incredible cocktails to an energetic atmosphere.
Watch the video above to see what’s cooking up at Sunda New Asian.
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
Detroit Lions podcast includes Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
Nolan and Richard are joined by Purple Insider Matthew Coller to talk about NFC North offseason moves.
By this point in the offseason, it’s well documented who the Detroit Lions have added, as well as who they’ve lost.
Former Carolina Panthers center Cade Mays was the prize of free agency. He’ll replace Graham Glasgow in the middle of Detroit’s offensive line. Clemson’s Blake Miller, selected 17th overall in April’s draft, is poised to quickly take over at the tackle spot opposite Penei Sewell, stepping in for Taylor Decker. The pass rush was overhauled across from Aidan Hutchinson, with Ahmed Hassanein and Tyler Lacy being the only other edge defenders still on the roster from last season.
Today, we’ll try to take our analysis a step further, identifying a few patterns within Detroit’s offseason approach and exploring what those acquisitions, retentions and departures mean for a Lions team looking to bounce back and reemerge as a title contender in 2026.
Detroit’s offense had its own share of issues throughout 2025. But what the defense produced down the stretch with the season on the line failed to meet reasonable expectations. Opponents averaged 28.1 points and 382.1 yards per game from Weeks 12-18, a stretch that resulted in four losses. Pinning all of Detroit’s defensive woes on one factor would be foolish (and you can’t ignore the role injuries played), but an inconsistent, at best, pass rush certainly didn’t help. The Lions owned the third-slowest time to pressure (2.86 seconds) in the NFL last season, according to Next Gen Stats.
Aside from the retooling opposite Hutchinson, the Lions also seemingly put an emphasis on acquiring interior defensive linemen who can get after the passer. Levi Onwuzurike is back after his contract tolled last season — Josh Paschal, a run-defending lineman who also had his contract tolled but was released in March, wasn’t afforded the same opportunity — and the Lions spent a couple of late-round draft picks on Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howard and Tennessee’s Tyre West. Both players were drafted because of the flashes they’ve shown as pass rushers, particularly Gill-Howard, whose win rate in 2025 (14.4%) ranked 10th out of the 512 FBS interior defenders who rushed the passer on at least 100 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Copying the Super Bowl champions isn’t always wise — every team’s personnel has its own set of skills — but it’s striking how much Detroit’s defense differed from that of the Seattle Seahawks, who rode their defense on the way to winning the franchise’s second title. The Lions led the league in use of base defense (three linebackers) last season, deploying those packages for 657 plays, according to Next Gen Stats. The Seahawks were last, with 66 plays. It was the opposite for use of nickel defense (five defensive backs), with the Seahawks leading the league (815) and the Lions at 32nd (355). Of course, Seattle is unique, given head coach Mike Macdonald’s defensive system and nickelback Nick Emmanwori’s immediate impact as a rookie.
The Lions won’t overhaul their entire scheme in one offseason, but it’s difficult to see their moves in totality and not come away thinking they could lean more on nickel packages in 2026. Alex Anzalone, one of the league’s better linebackers against the pass, allowed the Lions to play base defense as much as they did, as he was comfortable in coverage. He’s now with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Lions added a number of viable options to play nickelback next season, including veterans Christian Izien Jr. and Roger McCreary, as well as fifth-round rookie Keith Abney II (Arizona State).
Assuming the starting five, from left to right, winds up being Sewell, Christian Mahogany, Mays, Tate Ratledge and Miller, Detroit’s offensive line will have an average age of 25.2 next season. That’s down from 2025 (27.8) and 2024 (29.8). In no way does the influx of youth indicate surefire success, but the Lions would certainly be set up for sustained success if each of the five projected starters reach their ceilings. The offensive line could be even younger if 2025 fifth-rounder Miles Frazier, who is 11 months younger than Mahogany, wins the starting job at left guard. Juice Scruggs, another contender at left guard, is nine months older than Mahogany. Ben Bartch, 27, is the veteran option.
Whether Mays continues ascending at center will be key to Detroit’s success in 2026. He’s only started 20 games at the position over his four seasons in the NFL, and all of those starts have come within the last two years. He showed week-to-week growth in his 12 starts in 2025, enough for the Lions to commit $25 million ($14 million guaranteed) to him over the next three years. Mays surrendered 13 pressures last season and didn’t allow sack, according to PFF.
rsilva@detroitnews.com
@rich_silva18
How the PWHL unveiled Detroit’s team amid much fanfare
Chris Ilitch, Mary Sheffield, Jayna Hefford and Amy Scheer talk about the PWHL Detroit team on May 6, 2026.
Josh Sciba comes to the Detroit Professional Women’s Hockey League team with a tremendous recent accolade.
Named to coach the ninth franchise in the PWHL’s history on Thursday, May 28, Sciba joins the team fresh off having served as an assistant coach with the women’s team that won the gold medal at the 2026 Milano Olympics.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited for the opportunity to become the coach of PWHL Detroit and beyond grateful for the trust placed in me to help lead the organization from the beginning,” Sciba said in a statement. “This is home and especially meaningful for me and my entire family, knowing Detroit’s rich hockey history and identity firsthand and how much the women’s hockey community has been yearning for this moment.”
The Detroit PWHL team has taken shape over the past month: From being introduced on May 6 in a gala event at Little Caesars Arena (where the team will play starting late November/early December 2026) to naming Manon Rheaume general manager on May 15.
“Josh is a highly respected coach with a knowledge of the game and experience at all levels of women’s hockey that set him apart, and his passion for teaching and individual character are qualities I value in a leader,” Rhéaume said in a release “Hockeytown is in his blood, and this is an opportunity I know he is eager to embrace with an understanding of what it means to represent this city and be part of its legacy.”
Next on the agenda is shaping the roster itself, which will happen at the June 17 expansion draft at Detroit’s Fox Theatre.
Sciba, 41 and a native of Westland, has spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the PWHL’s New York Sirens and brings more than 15 years of coaching experience to the role.
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter.
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